


Guard Duty

by AzaleaBlue



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Grieving, romione
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:16:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25147576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzaleaBlue/pseuds/AzaleaBlue
Summary: On the day of Fred's Funeral, a promise was made. Prompts were- vest, Ron's bedroom and Fred's Funeral.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	Guard Duty

It had been a long and hard day for everyone, but finally, the evening was drawing to a close.

Hermione picked up the two mugs from the table and hastened her steps towards the living room where Ginny sat huddled against Harry, her legs folded under her, body resting heavily against him. Harry looked up as she approached and Hermione placed both the mugs on the table, indicating one with her finger and gesturing silently towards the young girl.

'Dreamless Sleeping Potion,' she mouthed quietly to Harry and his eyes moved over to Ginny as he wrapped one arm more snugly around her shoulder.

"Thanks," he muttered, his smile not reaching his eyes, looking way older than he was- but exactly like the man who had the weight of the world on him. Hermione bushed the top of his head lovingly before patting Ginny's arm tenderly. But she turned around quickly before Harry could see her tears, walking away briskly, in dire need of someone.

"He is upstairs," Harry provided softly and she paused mid-step.

"I know," she replied just as quietly.

It had been two whole days, she reminded herself again as she trudged up the rickety, old staircase- two whole days since the war had come to an end. Perhaps it would take many more before the realisation actually sunk in, she reckoned. After all, these two days had somehow managed to be harder than the months in the forest- except for the weeks when Ron had left.

She pushed open the familiar door to his bedroom, faintly noticing how it still creaked the way she remembered from back in their fourth year. It felt like an eternity had passed since then. Despite all their cleaning spells the previous day, Ron's room still retained a little of the mouldy odour from the time the ghoul had taken up the place, but at least now it was spotless. Cleaning it had been almost therapeutic, she realised, as she closed the door softly and noticed the man lying on his stomach, arms and legs splayed out on the bed that was a little small for his tall frame.

He had discarded his button-down on the chair and was just clad in his inner vest and the black trouser he had worn in the afternoon during the funeral.

Death had struck so hard, taking away so many from them. Hermione couldn't fight the tears anymore, and for a few long minutes, stood still, watching the gentle rise and fall of his back, breathing deeply and in tune with his. _He was safe,_ she reminded herself again, _broken perhaps, but safe- the war had been won._

She released a shuddered breath and noiselessly walked to where he lay. A sigh escaped her as her arms reached out to touch his hair and then his arm, and she greedily soaked in the slight warmth of his skin- _the war was won, Ron was safe..._

Hermione bit down her lips to cut down on a sob as she placed her head over his, quickly wiping off the moisture that trickled down. _She couldn't wake him up no matter how much she needed him,_ she reminded herself. He had barely slept the past couple of nights, having spent them guarding the house instead...

After a few minutes, she pushed herself up but before she could move any further, his arms clasped around hers.

"Stay," he called, voice muffled in the pillow but not hiding his exhaustion.

Hermione collapsed on the floor readily and Ron turned his head to face her. She let out the tiniest of moans as his eyes found hers, and placed her hand on his face to brush aside his fringe from his eyes.

"I thought you were sleeping," she whispered, rubbing the pad of her thumb over his stubbled cheek. " _Hoped_ you were sleeping," she added.

"Did try," he replied, grabbing her hand in his and bringing it to his lips. "Couldn't. Where were you?"

"Got your parents and Ginny some tea with some Dreamless Sleeping Potion," she replied sadly. "Thought they needed it today," she added in a quieter voice.

Ron pushed himself up to rest on his side and when he just continued to watch her, she looked away, blushing at the intensity of his gaze.

"What would I ever do without you?" he asked with the softest of smiles and placed a tender hand over her cheek, brushing the corner of her lip, his finger lingering a little longer. "I'm so tired, Hermione," he said at long last as he pulled his hand away and ran it through his hair. "George?" he exhaled, not meeting her eyes.

"He's with Lee," she told him, grabbing his arm in hers, tracing the intricate patterns of the brain scars with the tip of her finger. She tried hard to fight the image haunting her, but she could hear the ominous boom as the spell crashed close to them again, she saw Fred's lifeless form - and suddenly, his face morphed into Ron's and she shuddered violently, clasping his hand tightly in hers.

"Again?" he asked and she nodded, exhaling.

"C'mere," he called and she climbed up on the bed beside him, resting her back against the wall as Ron took to gazing at the lines on her palms.

"I'm so bloody tired," he exhaled at last, "but I can't sleep. What if-"

Hermione knew they had cast some of the strongest protections around the house. She too feared some hiding Death Eater would target them again, but she pushed that thought aside.

"We'll take care of them," she promised, sniffing away her tears and entwining her fingers with his. She folded her legs under her, tugged him by the arm, silently gesturing for him to place his head on her lap. Ron collapsed back on the bed and pressed his face into her lap as his arm wrapped around her legs.

"We'll take care of all of them. But it's my guard duty now, and your turn to sleep," she told him as she tenderly ran her fingers through his hair.

And finally, after two long days, Ron was able to sleep..


End file.
